Red Snow 3: Coming to a Theater Near You
by quietthinker
Summary: Jimmy and the others have survived. They've learned the rules of a horror film. They think they know what to do. But in the final act of a trilogy, the rules are ignored. Anything goes in Red Snow 3.
1. The Necklace

**Author's Note: You asked for it, so here it is. _Red Snow 3._ The final book in the trilogy. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters. Also, many parts of this story are based on the _Scream _movies, especially the third one. I don't own those either.**

Later that day Jimmy was sitting in his lab, fingering the Christmas card in his hand. "I don't get it. We killed her. I saw them take her lifeless body away. There can't be another murderer already," he said already.

He placed the card on his desk and opened it. He scanned it for fingerprints. _No match in database._ He then scanned the handwriting. _No match in database._ He sighed and put his head down.

Just then Goddard jumped into his lap. "Hey boy," Jimmy sadly said as his dog curled up on him. "Well, there's nothing else I can do for now. Might as well go see Cindy." He stroked Goddard's metal back for a few moments before heading back to the hospital.

Cindy was lying on her bed, flipping through the television channels. "God, I have to stay in this place for another two weeks?" she angrily mumbled. She threw down the remote and glanced to her side. Jimmy's present still lay on the bed. _Forgot about that_.

Just as Cindy started to unwrap the present Jimmy knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "You up?" he asked.

"Come on in, Jimmy," Cindy said as she tried to straighten out her hair.

Jimmy took a seat in a chair near the bed. He raised an eyebrow as he saw his unopened present. Cindy looked at it and picked it up. "I was about to open it when you walked in. It's ok if I open it before Christmas, right?"

Jimmy laughed. "Sure." Cindy nodded and eagerly tore off the paper. She took out a small velvet box. She gasped as she opened it. It was a golden necklace with a pearl in the center. The pearl was wrapped in a golden circle.

"Jimmy, it's beautiful," she whispered as she fingered it.

"Read the inscription," he instructed her.

She looked at the golden circle that surrounded the pearl. "Like this pearl from a grain of sand, my love stems from a single argument." She started to cry as she finished reading the inscription.

"It's the pearl that I gave you on that island. I hope you don't mind that I, uh, stole it," he said while grinning. Cindy just shook her head. "I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but, well, after what happened," Jimmy paused for a second, trying not to cry. "I don't know what the future holds, Cindy. Some crazed guy in a mask could come and kill us tomorrow. But I know that I need to tell you how I feel. If I died and you never knew how I felt, it would be worse than burning in Hell for all eternity. What I'm saying is, uh. Man, it seems a lot easier in the movies," he nervously laughed. "Well, I love you, Cind. I guess I always have. Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked while grabbing her hand and staring her in the eyes.

Cindy just smiled at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. Jimmy smiled as well. But as the seconds passed he became nervous.

"Well?" he anxiously asked.

Cindy grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss. After what seemed like forever she let go. Jimmy slowly moved his head back, very dizzy. Cindy took a deep breath and wiped the hair out of her eyes.

"That an answer?" Cindy breathlessly asked. Jimmy just collapsed onto his chair and nodded.

**Author's Note: I know you probably couldn't fit that big of an inscription on the necklace, but let's just say you could.**


	2. The Last Day

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

__

Six Months Later

Jimmy, Cindy, Eustace, and Eric ran out of Retroville Middle School. Their teacher's tyrannous reign over them was finally broken. For now came the ten weeks that every child and teen looks forward to all year, summer vacation.

"I can't believe out first year of middle school is already over," Cindy said as she grabbed Jimmy's hand in excitement. Even after six months of going out, they were still just as much in love as ever, if not more.

Eustace looked on with a hint of jealousy, but not nearly as much as he would have had six months ago. He had come to terms with Cindy's choice of Jimmy. "Yes, well, it wasn't as spectacular as it would have been at Ridgemont's School for the Rich and Famous, but I suppose it was alright."

Erik sat on the grass and leaned against a tree. "Ah, I remember sixth grade. Good times, good times. I can't believe that I'm done at this school. I'm going to high school next year," he said with a mixture of happiness and anxiety.

Everyone took a seat next to him. "I felt the same way when I left the elementary school. I bet you have a lot of memories here, Erik," Jimmy said while staring at the clouds in the sky.

Erik nodded. "Yeah. I won that city-wide spelling bee, mooned Mr. Zimmerman, started that food fight, won the baseball championship." He looked up at the sky for a moment. "And there was that whole being chased by a homicidal maniac bent on killing all of us," he said with a nervous laugh.

"That's one thing I wouldn't mind forgetting," Cindy said. Everyone nodded.

"At least I got a better I-pod out of it," Erik joked.

"So, you guys up for the Candy Bar?" Jimmy asked. Everyone agreed and stood up. They all walked there and took a seat at a booth.

Jimmy and Cindy were silent for a few moments as they stared at the booth. Even after a year and a half, they couldn't forget the times they had shared there with Libby, Carl, and Sheen. The flirting, the laughing, the perfectly choreographed impromptu sing and dance number Cindy had sung on Valentines Day.

"I guess we'll never really forget them," Jimmy sadly said.

"Nope. But I guess that's the way it should be. They were too good of friends to just forget," Cindy sadly said.

Their mourning was interrupted when a man in his early-fifties approached them. "Are you a James Isaac Neutron?" he asked while looking up from a clipboard.

Jimmy glanced at the others, who just shrugged. "Uh, I guess. Why?"

"I'd like to talk about a movie deal with you. Here's my card. Why don't you call my office and we'll set up an appointment, ok?" he said before walking off.

Jimmy studied the business card as the man walked out the door. "Who was that guy?" Erik asked.

"It says he's Mr. Benjamin. He's the owner of a movie studio. Wonder what he wants to talk about?" Jimmy said as he slipped the card in his pocket.


	3. The Offer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any Related characters.**

Several days later the four friends were sitting in a fancy waiting room. After much debating, their parents had agreed to let them handle this themselves. Although they still didn't have any idea on what was going on.

"I still don't have any idea on what is going on," Eustace angrily said while flipping through a magazine.

"What else is new?" Jimmy mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Eustace asked.

"I said wood shelves are few. I need more, but I don't know where to find any," Jimmy said while smiling at Cindy. Eustace just snarled and went back to his magazine.

"Mr. Neutron and party," the secretary shouted several moments later. The four kids walked into Mr. Benjamin's office.

"Ah, Mr. Neutron. Please, sit. Can I offer you or your friends anything? Some fruit juice, perhaps?" Mr. Benjamin said while putting down his papers.

"Oh, that would be super swell. Maybe then we could have some animal crackers and watch Blue's Clues," Eustace sarcastically said.

"Anyway," Jimmy interrupted while giving Eustace a nasty glare, "you wanted to talk about some sort of movie deal?"

Mr. Benjamin smiled. "As I'm sure you may know, slasher films have recently made a comeback in the movie business. Wes Craven's _Scream_ trilogy has opened the door for a new age of horror films."

"What does that have to do with us?" Cindy suspiciously asked.

"I heard about you kids on the news a while back. Your story intrigued me. A bunch of kids trapped in a school with a killer who plays by the rules of horror films? It sounded like a good idea for a movie. And the fact that it is a true story makes it all the more marketable," Mr. Benjamin told them.

"So you're saying that you want to make a movie about our experience last Christmas?" Jimmy angrily asked.

"Exactly."

Jimmy jumped up from his seat. "Unbelievable! Five people died that day. My girlfriend, the woman I've loved since I first met her, was stabbed! She looked me in the eyes and told me she was dying! I held her in my arms, praying to god that she'd be ok! We lost not only our classmates, but our friends! And you want to make it a movie?"

Mr. Benjamin stayed in his seat and calmly looked at Jimmy. "There's at least two million dollars in it for each of you."

"When can we start?" Jimmy immediately asked.

"What!" Erik, Eustace, and Cindy shouted.

"Can we please have a moment alone?" Jimmy asked Mr. Benjamin.

"Of course. I'll go get some coffee and be back in ten minutes," he said while leaving the room.

"What the hell was that?" Eustace asked.

"Remember what happened the last time we shot a movie?" Cindy asked.

"Just listen!" Jimmy told them. They angrily sat back down and shut up. "This is the perfect chance to get some closure. We get to go over every aspect of the killings, and understand it. We can get a better understanding about what happened and put the whole mess behind us."

"And making a movie is the best way to forget something?" Eric asked.

"The way I see it, we get closure and millions of dollars," Jimmy calmly told them.

"Might I bring something up?" Cindy asked.

"Of course, sweetheart." Erik and Eustace made a gagging motion.

"The killers played by the rules of horror films, right?" she asked. Jimmy nodded her head. "Don't you think this would be the perfect opportunity to start the killings again? Making a movie about what happened?"

"Possibly. But he, or she, could strike again at any time. The fact is, we're always in danger. This is a way to close the door on the past. Do this one thing and learn what really happened. Gain some insight on the situation. And I know that you want the money just as much as I do. Think about it, guys. Millionaires," Jimmy dreamily told them.

Cindy and Eric looked up at the ceiling, dreaming about swimming in money. "Well, I guess we could give it a shot," Erik said.

"And it would be a good way for the whole world to learn about how our friends died. You know, understand what really happened to them," Cindy added.

"I already have millions of dollars! I just want to forget this whole mess!" Eustace shouted.

"Look, it's three-to-one. You don't even have to be involved in this. But we're going to," Jimmy told him.

Eustace sat in his chair and rubbed his chin. After a minute or two he let out a deep sigh. "Fine, if you're all going to do it, I guess I might as well. But I don't like it."


	4. Introductions

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

__

One Month Later

Jimmy, Cindy, Eustace, and Erik were walking behind Mr. Benjamin. He opened a door and ushered them inside. "And this is the main set. It is the classroom and hallways," he said while motioning to the set around him.

The four kids stared in awe. It looked exactly the same as Mr. Fitz's classroom. Everything was in the exact same spot.

"Wow," Eric said for everyone.

Mr. Benjamin nodded his head, proud of his work. "Yes, no expense has been spared in this film. We feel with the right marketing, it could easily make over two hundred million dollars in the U.S. alone."

The kids turned their attention to him. "Really?" they all asked.

"Hey, the _Blair Witch Project_ only cost $35,000 to make. It ended up drawing in over $150 million. It did well because they lied and said it was a true story. This really is true."

Mr. Benjamin turned around when he heard a door open. He smiled as several kids walked into the room. "And here are the actors who will be playing you."

The four kids walked up to Jimmy, Eustace, Erik, and Cindy. There was a moment of awkward silence before the actor who played Jimmy shook Jimmy's hand.

"Great to meet you, Jimmy. You're a real hero. My name's Dave, and it's an honor to play you."

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "Oh, it was nothing. I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll portray me." He turned towards Mr. Benjamin. "I thought adults always played teens in horror films."

Mr. Benjamin laughed. "Yeah, we realized that was dumb."

The actress who played Cindy walked up to Jimmy and shook his hand as well. "Hey, I'm Sarah. You're a lot cuter than the script made you out to be."

Jimmy turned around and faced the angry Cindy. "Don't worry, I don't need her. I've got the real thing," he said while kissing her cheek.

Eric ran up and shook Sarah's hand. "Hey, I'm Eric. Great to meet you. Did I mention I fought the killer? It was my I-pod that killed him. Yep, that's me. A real hero," he stuttered, not taking his eyes off the beautiful Sarah's eyes.

"So, you must be, uh, me," Eustace said while approaching kid dressed like him.

"Name's Tim, glad to meet you," the actor said while shaking his hand.

"And I'm Bill, by the way," the actor who played Erik said while looking at the group. Nobody even looked at him. "Yeah, ok. I'll just go get some snacks or something."

After a few moments of talking, Mr. Benjamin spoke up. "Well, I hate to interrupt, but these actors have some scenes to shoot," he said while ushering the actors to another set. "Feel free to browse around. You can join the cast for lunch in an hour, ok?"

"Yeah, sure," Jimmy said while grabbing Cindy's hand. The four friends walked around the set.

After a while they came across a room in a secluded hallway. "Hmmm, costume department. That sounds cool," Erik said while opening the door. Eustace, Cindy, and Jimmy stepped inside and closed the door.

"God, somebody find the light switch," Jimmy said while feeling the wall. It was completely dark.

"Got it," Cindy said as she flipped the switch. A single light bulb came on in the center of the room.

The gang stood in silence as they stared ahead. Dozens of costumes of the killer were on racks. "Let's get out of here," Eustace whispered as he took a few steps back. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked?" Eric quietly asked. Eustace nodded.

"I told you we shouldn't have done this! He's going to kill us!" Eustace shouted at Jimmy.

"Break down the door!" Cindy yelled.

Jimmy and Erik glanced at each other. They nodded and backed up. They ran at the door and knocked it open. They fell on the floor. Cindy and Eustace quickly ran outside. Cindy grabbed Jimmy's hand and pulled him up.

Jimmy walked over to the fallen door and turned the knob. He angrily glanced at Eustace. "You were turning it the wrong way!"


	5. Poetic License

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

"Uh, you wanted to talk to me?" Jimmy asked as he stepped into Mr. Benjamin's room.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Neutron. Please have a seat," he told Jimmy. He took off his reading glasses and put down his pile of papers.

"We're sorry again about the door thing," Jimmy sheepishly told him.

"No problem. I'm sure that wasn't an easy thing for you to see."

"So what exactly did you want to see me about?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about a possible change in the movie," Mr. Benjamin said while taking a sip from his coffee.

"Wait, shouldn't the others be here as well?" Jimmy asked, a little confused.

Mr. Benjamin laughed. "Mr. Neutron, do you remember all the legal mess you went through after last Christmas' murders?" Jimmy just nodded his head. "Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but you hold the rights to the story. Technically, you and you alone own what happened. Therefore, I have to talk to you about the changes I have in my mind."

Jimmy was a little surprises, he hadn't known this. "Um, what are the changes?"

Mr. Benjamin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I thought it would be good for the story if we made the murderer be hired by this Calamitous fellow."

Jimmy was shocked. "What?"

"Well, it would be an interesting plot twist. Besides, it would leave it open for a sequel. This movie is surely going to be the biggest of the year, people will be expecting a sequel."

Jimmy just shook his head in disbelief. "Why in the world would you want to make a sequel to a horror film? Everyone knows sequels suck," Jimmy told him.

Mr. Benjamin laughed. "Perhaps you've forgotten _Spiderman 2_? _The Empire Strikes Back?_"

Jimmy laughed. "What about _The Exorcist 2? _And all those _Nightmare on Elm Street_ films?"

Mr. Benjamin nodded his head. "A good point. But what you're forgetting is that those were fake. Fiction. This is real. It was a huge story on the news. People were talking about it all over the world. Movies about it would be hugely successful."

"Look," Jimmy told him. "If you want to do a sequel so bad, why not just do the murders that happened two years ago?"

"A prequel. I don't think so. Besides, it's not as interesting as the film we're making now. And cloning? I don't want to bring that up.

All I want to do is change the script slightly. Everything stays the same except the ending."

Jimmy stood up. "Look. I feel guilty enough about selling out my friends' deaths for money. But I can't change that. But if we are going to do this, we're sticking to what really happened. My friends and I want this to be a chance for closure and for the world to learn what really happened. So it stays the same."

"Think about the money, James," Mr. Benjamin told him.

"No amount of money in the world would make me change my mind. You do this my way or we don't do the movie. As long as I'm alive, you will make the movie as I say," Jimmy angrily said before walking out. "Good day, sir."


	6. It Begins Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy and Cindy were sitting on his couch that night. Cindy rested her head on Jimmy's shoulder. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her. They flicked through the channels and saw that an old black and white horror movie was on.

"Fifty bucks the girl screams, covers herself with the towel instead of running, and gets killed," Jimmy said as some murderer came up to a girl in a shower. The scene played out exactly as he said.

"Do they even realize how corny these things are?" Cindy incredulously asked while shaking her head.

"Did you ever stop and realize that we're actually making one of these things?" Jimmy asked her.

"Well, we weren't as stupid as those people were. We're alive, aren't we?" Cindy told him.

They both looked behind them and at the stairs. They could have sworn they heard someone up there.

"You hear that?" Jimmy nervously asked.

"Yeah. Your parents are out, right?" she questioned.

"Yeah. This isn't good," Jimmy said as he got up. Cindy followed him.

Jimmy went over to the closet and pulled out a flashlight just before the power went out. He flicked it on and headed into the kitchen. Cindy followed him and looked out the window. "Bad," she said.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked as he started fishing through a drawer he had just unlocked.

"All the other houses have power." She walked over to the phone and picked it up. "And the phone's dead."

"Shit. You think we could get one full year without being attacked by some masked murderer," Jimmy mumbled as he pulled a gun out of the drawer and cocked it.

"Jimmy! What are you doing with that?" a shocked Cindy asked.

Jimmy turned to her. "After being chased by two homicidal maniacs, I figured I might need some protection. I guess I was right," he said as he tossed her the flashlight. They slowly left the kitchen and went up the stairs in the living room.

Jimmy paused for a moment and turned to Cindy. "I'm shooting to kill. Just to let you know," he warned her. She solemnly nodded her head.

They paused as they reached the top of the stairs. Jimmy glanced at the two rooms on both sides of him. He took a step forward, keeping the gun aimed in front of him. Suddenly a man in the all too familiar costume jumped out wrestled Jimmy to the ground.

"Jimmy!" Cindy screamed as they rolled into Jimmy's parents bedroom. The killer punched Jimmy in the face and stood up. He pulled out his mechanical device and was about to push the button.

Jimmy picked his gun up. "Just die already!" he shouted while firing five rounds into the killer's chest. The killer stumbled back out into the hallway. Cindy pushed him down a flight of stairs. Jimmy ran out of the room and let loose another four rounds at the killer.

"You alright?" Cindy asked as Jimmy turned away from the motionless body at the bottom of the stairs.

Jimmy nodded. "Well, that was too easy," he said while looking down the stairs. "No!" he shouted when he saw that the body was gone.

Jimmy ran down the stairs and out the open front door. He could make out a figure running off into the night. Jimmy aimed his gun and emptied the remaining six bullets, but there was no way he could hit the killer from such a distance. He dropped the gun in defeat.

Cindy ran up to him. "How did he survive? You shot him, like, nine times in the chest!"

Jimmy just slammed his hand into his forehead. "Stupid! He was wearing body armor! You're supposed to aim for the head! You think I would have learned that by now!" Jimmy angrily said while slamming the door shut.


	7. Sorting Things Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

"What the hell is going on?" Cindy asked while Jimmy bent down and picked up the gun. They both walked back into the house. "We killed the clone. Stephanie's dead and gone. Who else is trying to kill us? Will it ever end?"

Jimmy went into the kitchen and dug around in the drawer. He found another magazine of bullets and reloaded the gun. He stuffed it in his pocket and turned to see a breathless Cindy staring at him.

"Well?" she asked.

Jimmy walked by her and collapsed onto the couch. "How should I know? Why do you expect me to know anything? God, I have no idea what's going on. Are we even sure Stephanie is really dead?"

Cindy sat down next to him. "I went down to the cemetery after I got out of the hospital. She's buried. I checked with the police, the owner of the funeral parlor, even her family. She's gone."

Jimmy sighed and covered his head with a pillow. "Maybe it's Eustace."

Now it was Cindy's turn to sigh. "You have got to stop blaming him for everything. He saved my life, remember?"

Jimmy stood up and began pacing around. "You don't get it, Cindy. Both of the previous killers played by the rules of horror films, right? Well, this is the third act. The final movie in the trilogy. And in the trilogy all bets are off. Anyone could be the killer, and anyone can die. That means me and you."

"What are you talking about? We always could have died!" Cindy shouted.

Jimmy walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda. He angrily opened it and began drinking. "Of course we could have died. But there was a certain, I don't know, hope. Knowing that we were the main targets, well, it gives you license to live. God, I don't even know what I'm saying. I just know that in horror films, all bets are off in the trilogy."

Cindy took a seat next to Jimmy in the class. "You say all bets are off?" Jimmy nodded his head. "Well then, that goes for us too. We'll fight. And not the running around and hitting the killer with a baseball bat when we're cornered kind of fighting. We'll shoot him before he stabs us. We haven't come all this way to die now."

"Cind, I have to tell you something. When you were in the hospital, when I first visited you, the killer sent a threatening note."

Cindy angrily stared at him. "What?"

"I didn't tell anyone. Especially you. You had already been through so much."

"Don't you think that I deserve to know if someone is trying to kill me?"

"I was freaked out, I didn't know what to do!"

Cindy got up and started pacing around the room, rubbing her temple as she did so. "Who sent it?"

Jimmy laughed. "Do you really think I know?"

"Well, if you got it in the mail the day after the killer died, then that's not enough time for a new killer. Steph probably mailed it before the killings, knowing that she might die. Sort of a contingency plan. Just like the original killer's exploding talking device."

Jimmy leaned back, stunned._ Why didn't I think of that? There wasn't enough time for a new killer, and Steph was surely dead. It was just an empty threat. She was just scaring us, and she hoped someone might pick up the murders. A copycat killer. Just like she was a copycat from my clone._

"God, my head hurts," Jimmy moaned. This was confusing even him.

"So basically, we were stalked by a killer around two years ago. He dies and threatens that someone else will pick up his work. For whatever reason, Steph decided to continue his killings. She died, and did a similar threat. And now we're dealing with another killer," Cindy summed it up.

"But who would want to kill us?" Jimmy asked.

"That's what we're going to find out," Cindy told him.


	8. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

The next day Jimmy and Cindy walked into the Candy Bar. They had just come from filing a report from the police station. They saw Eustace sitting at a booth and joined them.

"Hey Jim, Cindy," Erik cheerily said.

"Uh," they both moaned.

A waitress came over to take Jimmy and Cindy's order. "What'll you two have?"

"Coffee. Black," Jimmy said.

"Same," Cindy dryly said.

The waitress wrote the orders down and left. Eric and Eustace stared at them. "Um, coffee? What happened to chocolate milk and sippy straws?" Eric teased.

Jimmy stared at him. "It's hard to sleep after being attacked by a masked murderer. Again. For the third time."

"What do you mean! He's back?" Eric nervously asked.

"That's horrible!" Eustace added.

"Here you go, kids," the waitress said as she handed Jimmy and Cindy their coffees.

Jimmy and Cindy just sucked it down. "How does it taste?" Eustace curiously asked.

"Worst thing I've ever experienced in my life," Jimmy said as he wiped his hand across his face.

"Hate to interrupt the Breakfast Club," Erik angrily told Eustace. "But what is this about a certain serial killer being back?"

"Long story short, murderer busts in. Jimmy fights and shoots him. Killer lives and runs away. We very scared," Cindy told him.

"Well, this is just not good," Eustace calmly said. "I mean, that could be enough reason for them to shut down the production of the movie."

Everyone turned to him. "What?" Erik asked, concerned about losing out on two million dollars.

"Well, people tend to not make movies when they cause serial killers to go around killing kids."

Suddenly there was a ringing sound. Jimmy reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Alright, fine. Yep. Be there in twenty." He slammed the phone shut and stuffed it back in his pocket.

"That was Mr. Benjamin. Me and him have to talk about some film stuff. See you guys later. Bye Cind," he said while bending down and giving her a kiss.

About half an hour later Jimmy walked into Mr. Benjamin's office and took a seat. "What is it?" he asked.

Mr. Benjamin swiveled his chair around and held up a finger. He was busy talking on a phone. "Look, I don't care how much it costs, just keep those damn reporters off of this case! We are not going to let one little incident shut down the production of what could be this year's biggest movie!"

He slammed the phone down and turned to Jimmy. "I heard you and your girlfriend had a little, encounter last night."

"Yeah, we did," Jimmy suspiciously said.

"You better be glad you're alive. If you had been killed this whole movie may have been shut down."

"Yes, that is definitely the main reason I am glad to be alive. The movie can go on. That's way more important than, uh, living," Jimmy dryly said.

"At any rate, I still need to discuss with you the Calamitous idea."

Jimmy sighed. "I already told you we are not doing that idea."

Mr. Benjamin was angry now. "Listen here, kid. I'm doing you a favor, producing this crappy movie just so your dead friends can have a legacy."

"Oh, this crappy movie. You mean the biggest movie of the year?" Jimmy asked.

"There are plenty of other movie ideas. I am one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. I, and I alone, decide what this movie is about. Nothing stands in my way."

Jimmy stared the man in the eye. "I don't care how much money you have. We have signed a contract, we are producing this movie. And I looked that little binding document over. I agreed to give you the rights to all my encounters with the killer, but you must keep it true to life unless I say so."

The two men stared at each other. "I think we're just about through here," Jimmy said before walking out.


	9. Smile for the Camera

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy was sitting alone in his house later that night. His parents were still gone on their two-day vacation. He wouldn't admit it to anyone except Cindy, but he hated being in the house all by himself at night. Especially after the most recent attack.

Suddenly the phone was ringing. _Let the machine get it_, he thought as he threw a blanket over himself and laid on the couch. "Hey, this is the Neutrons and we're not home right now. Please leave a message after the beep."

"Jimmy, it's Cindy. Please pick up the phone _now_. It's life or death," Cindy nervously whispered into the phone.

Jimmy jumped off the couch and ran to the phone. "I'm here, Cind. What is it?"

"Hey Jimmy. We haven't spoken in a while, have we?" the familiar distorted voice said.

_God, here we go again._ Jimmy was about to hang up, but the killer spoke again. "Hang up and you're sealing your fate, kid. You're smarter than that."

"What do you want?" Jimmy angrily asked.

"Just checking up on you. How's school? What are your plans for the weekend? How do you want to die?" the voice sneered.

_I am not afraid of you_. "I was in honors, I'm going to the movies, and old age. You don't scare me."

"Impressive, James. Even after all you've been through you're not afraid. It's a shame I'll have to kill such a worthy adversary."

Jimmy laughed. "You didn't do such a hot job of killing me last night, dude. What makes you think you'll be any better this time?"

There was a slight pause on the other end. Almost as if the voice was confused. "Uh, yeah. Just know that the _real_ killer is always one step behind you." After that was said he hung up.

Jimmy stood there with the phone in his hand, very confused. _What does he mean, the **real** killer? And one step behind...shit_," Jimmy thought as jumped to his side. A knife slammed into the phone.

Meanwhile, something was happening on the other end of town. The door to the set of the movie, _Bloody Snow_, was locked. But the doorknob slowly turned. The masked killer walked inside.

"What the hell," was all the time the security guard had time to say before the killer hit him hard in the head, knocking him out. The murderer walked into Sarah's dressing room.

The killer put down the duffel bag he was carrying. He pulled out a mannequin that somewhat resembled Sarah. He hung it from the ceiling. He put a knife through the dummy's head. He then took out a knife and turned to the mirror. He scratched a message onto it.

**You should have left the past alone. You should have moved on. But you didn't. Now I'm back, and I'm ready to kill. Consider this your final warning.**

The killer picked up his stuff and walked outside of the room. He turned to his side and stared at the ceiling. He looked at the blink security camera. He waved and ran outside.


	10. Never Give Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

"Game over, kid," the distorted voice said as the killer walked over to Jimmy. He quickly pulled out a knife and slammed it towards Jimmy's throat.

Jimmy grabbed a hold of the killer's arm, barely stopping him from stabbing the knife into his neck. _I haven't come this far, survived all of this, gotten this close to Cindy, to die now._ Jimmy kicked the killer as hard as he could in the stomach. He stumbled back into the wall as Jimmy jumped up onto his feet.

The killer swung his knife at Jimmy's neck. Jimmy ducked. The killer tried to kick-sweep his feet, but Jimmy jumped up in the air and kicked the killer in the face. _Wow. That was cool_, Jimmy thought as he ran into the kitchen.

The killer wasn't far behind him. Jimmy tried to open the drawer to the gun, but it was locked. "COME ON!" he angrily shouted.

Jimmy looked behind him and saw that the killer was running at him. He ran behind the kitchen table and ducked as the killer threw a knife at his head. While the masked man unsheathed another knife, Jimmy picked up a chair. He ran up to the killer and smashed it into his stomach. The killer dropped the knife as he fell.

Jimmy picked up the knife and ran back to the drawer. The killer grabbed his foot and pulled him to the ground. He slashed Jimmy's ankle with another knife.

"God damn it!" Jimmy shouted in pain. He kicked the killer with his other foot until the killer let go. Jimmy, unable to stand, crawled as fast as he could to the drawer. He slashed the knife into it until he could open it.

The killer got to his feet and ran up to Jimmy. He hit Jimmy hard across the face and stood above him. He pulled yet another knife out of his cloak. "It was supposed to be a simple game, Jimmy. Now, you lose," he said while holding the hilt of the knife.

"Fuck you!" Jimmy shouted as he wrapped his hand around the gun and fired it at the killer.

The killer stumbled backward and fell onto the floor. Jimmy fired several more shots, but they all barely missed the killer's head. He stood over the bruised killer. "Your turn to lose."

The killer picked up a broken piece of wood off the floor and hit Jimmy hard in the chest with it. Jimmy fell onto the floor. The killer jumped up and ran out of the house.

Jimmy lay on the floor for a second, expecting a knife to pierce his skin. Once he realized the killer was gone he grabbed the counter and pulled himself up. He looked at the gun in his hands and aimed it at the floor. He fired it, but nothing happened. _Yeah, it was out of bullets. That figures._

Jimmy dropped the gun in shock as the phone started to ring. He limped over to it and picked it up. "What is it now?" he angrily shouted.

"Jimmy! That is not how we answer the phone!" Mrs. Neutron said.

"Oh, hey mom. How's Hawaii?" Jimmy nervously asked.

"Good. Just calling in to check in. We'll be back in a few days. I hope the house will be the same as when we left it?"

Jimmy turned around and looked at the destroyed kitchen. "Yeah. I hope so too."


	11. Accusations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy limped up the stairs and went into the bathroom. He pulled out a rag and some iodine. He cringed as he cleaned the wound. After that was done he wrapped a bandage around it. He grabbed the mop in the closet and used it as a cane to walk to his room.

Jimmy collapsed onto his bed, deep in thought. _Psychopathic serial killer? I can handle that. Having a girlfriend? I can handle that. Producing a movie? I can handle that. Two angry parents? Not so much._

_T_he next morning Jimmy woke up and limped down the stairs. He sighed as he looked at the destroyed kitchen. "Next time we fight at Cindy's house," he muttered as he walked over to the broken refrigerator. He pulled out a carton of warm milk and finished it off. He grabbed some slices of bread and ate them dry. 

Jimmy turned around and saw the gun lying on the floor. He went back upstairs and dressed up. When he came back into the kitchen a few minutes later he picked up the gun and reloaded it. He threw an extra clip of ammo into his pocket. He slipped the gun inside his right sock.

He flipped on the small television on the counter before walking into the living room and getting his jacket. He was about to step outside when he heard something interesting on the news.

"And this is an interesting story. The set of the new horror movie, _Bloody Snow_, received a visit late last night from a man dressed like the killer in the movie. A mannequin that looked like one of the cast was left with a knife through its head. A threatening note was scribbled onto the wall. Let's see how the threatened cast member is doing."

Jimmy sat down on the only remaining chair and stared at the television. Sarah appeared onscreen. It was hard to tell, but Jimmy thought she might have been crying.

"Well, at least he didn't kill anyone. Mr. Benjamin, the owner of the studio, says it may have just been some prank. But I'm sure not laughing. But I've worked really hard to get where I am, and I'm not throwing it away now because some masked kid threatens me."

Jimmy nodded his head in approval of Sarah's words. The screen shifted back to the anchorwoman. "Several days ago Jimmy Neutron and Cynthia Vortex, the kids who the movie is based on, were attacked by a man dressed in the same costume. It is not known at this time whether these events are connected. Mr. Benjamin insists that the movie will go on."

Jimmy sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Well, no denying it now. It's happening again." Jimmy walked out the back door and headed towards the movie studio.

Half an hour later Jimmy was shoving his way through a swarm of reporters. He managed to push through them and get into Mr. Benjamin's office.

"What is it now, Mr. Neutron?" Mr. Benjamin tiredly asked while putting a hand on his cell phone's speaker.

_I've got a gun, there are witnesses outside. I'm safe. "_I know it was you last night. Now stop trying to kill me."

Mr. Benjamin was angry now. "Look Steven, I'll call you back." He glared at Jimmy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Last night. You know what I mean."

"Why in the world would I leave some stupid mannequin with a knife through its head-," he started to ask.

"Not that. Me. I know you tried to kill me. If you do it again, I swear to god I'll kill you."

Mr. Benjamin's face held a look of concern and surprise. "The killer tried to get you again?"

Now it was Jimmy's turn to be angry. "No more games! I know it was you!"

Mr. Benjamin was really confused now. "What are you talking about? I don't even know what's going on!"

Jimmy clenched his hands into fists. "You tried to kill me, then you snuck into this theater and left that, I don't know. Message thing on the wall. I heard it on the news."

Mr. Benjamin sat down in his chair and rubbed his temple. "Alright kid, two things. One, I had no idea you were attacked last night. And two, why in the world would I scratch that note into the mirror? It basically said to shut the movie down or die! This is the best thing to happen in my career! Why would I try to shut it down? I've spent the past three hours doing everything I could to keep this thing alive!"

Jimmy hadn't thought of that._ God, he's right. I thought he wanted to kill me so he could change the movie. But killing me would bring in enough bad publicity to shut down the movie. But then who is trying to kill me?_

Jimmy sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I've been under a lot of stress. I hope we can still do business," Jimmy told him. 

"We'll discuss this later. Right now I have to try to keep this film alive," Mr. Benjamin said while ushering Jimmy out of his office.


	12. Back to Square One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy was lying down on Cindy's couch, his bruised head on her lap. He couldn't help but smile. "And then he hit me with some wood and ran off. I checked the gun, I was out of bullets. Good thing he ran. I would have been a sitting duck if he had continued fighting me."

Cindy bent down and kissed him upside-down. She smiled as she saw that dreamy smile come onto his face. "Well, it sounds like you had one heck of a night."

Jimmy sighed as his face became serious again. "Is it too much to ask for a few days to go by without nearly getting killed?"

Cindy played with his long hair. "So, you said you paid a visit to Mr. Benjamin?"

Jimmy sat up and put his arm across her. He frowned a little. "Now before you get mad and go all, uh, crazy Cindy on me, remember I was nearly killed last night."

Cindy took his arm off her shoulder and stared at him. "What did you do?"

"It's not that big of a deal," Jimmy mumbled.

Cindy grabbed his shoulders and pushed him up against the back of the couch. She put her face close to his and stared him in the eyes. "What did you do?"

Jimmy nervously chuckled. "You know, you're really cute when you're like this."

"Do not make me ask you again."

Jimmy sighed. "Well, Mr. Benjamin told me a few days ago that technically, I and I alone had the rights to the killings. You know, the story. So he and I discussed some creative changes. Just the two of us." He put on a wide smile.

Cindy started laughing. Jimmy let out a sigh of relief. She suddenly became serious and looked at him. "You better hope you can run."

Jimmy put up his hands. "Wait! He wanted to change the ending of the movie so that Calamitous was behind the killings. But I said no. He said it could leave it open for a sequel, and we could make more money. But I said no, I wouldn't do that to the story. This was so the whole world could learn what _really_ happened to our friends, right?

I know I should have asked you guys, but I knew you would all feel the same. Well, maybe not Eric. You know how he is about money. But the rest of us. And I was feeling guilty about selling out our friends for money. So I told him no. I just couldn't change the ending, even if the rest of you guys wanted to. I'm sorry."

Cindy stared at him in silence. "Should I start running?" Jimmy asked.

Cindy bent down and deeply kissed him. After a few minutes she pulled away. "If you ever go behind my back again, that'll be the last time you get one of those. Got it?" Jimmy nodded his head, still dazed. "Now I know there is something else. So go on," she instructed him.

"Um, well, he didn't take it very well. This was before the first time the killer attacked us. He was really mad at me. He said nobody would stand in his way. So I was a little suspicious after the first attack. And when last night's attack happened, I really thought it was him."

Cindy nodded. "Understandable."

"Anyway, so I saw him earlier today and confronted him about it. It's not him. He brought up a good point. Sure, killing me might get him the full rights to my story, but it would bring too much bad publicity. The movie would be shut down. And the killer left a threatening note at the studio to shut the movie down. If he wanted to kill me to make the movie better, why would he shut it down?"

Cindy thought about that for a moment. "Maybe he did the thing at the studio so you wouldn't suspect him anymore?"

Jimmy shook his head. "I already thought of that. It would be way too risky for him. It came really close to shutting the movie down. And even if it doesn't get shut down, the actors are scared out of their wits. They almost quit. He wouldn't do that."

Cindy leaned back and closed her eyes. After a moment she spoke. "So basically, you know nothing more than you did before, except you're out of suspects."

Jimmy nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, that about sums it all up."


	13. An Invitation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Later that day Jimmy, Cindy, Eustace, and Erik were at the Candy Bar. Erik and Eustace still didn't know that Jimmy had been attacked the night before. Jimmy was about to tell them when Dave walked up.

"Hey guys," he said while stopping near them and leaning against their table.

Jimmy thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Dave, right?" Dave nodded his head. "Hey, what's up? Wanna take a seat?"

Dave shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks, man. Just came by to deliver a message from Mr. Benjamin. He's holding a little cast party at his mansion tonight to celebrate how good the movie is coming along. He wants the four of you to come."

Erik quickly looked up from his ice cream. "A party. At a mansion. And Sarah will be there?"

Dave gave him a strange look. "Uh, yeah. Sarah will be there. Anyway, you guy want to come?"

"Yeah, I'll come. But if you see Sarah, tell her that I'll be coming straight from my daily work-out at the gym," Erik said.

"Uh, yeah. I'll do that," Dave nervously said. "Just call Mr. Benjamin to let him know you're coming. See you guys around," he said before heading out the door.

Eustace turned to Erik. "Hey, wait a second. Sarah plays Cindy. If you like her so much, why didn't you ever flirt with Cindy?"

Jimmy glanced angrily at Erik. Erik pulled on his collar. He was starting to sweat a little. _God, that Neutron can really freak you out._ "Three reasons. One, she's two years younger than me. Two, we'd have some weird love square thingy going on. And three, any idiot could tell that these two were meant for each other."

Jimmy smiled as he grabbed Cindy's hand. _Good answer._ "Well, if you guys will excuse me, I'm going to go call and R.S.V.P.," he said while heading off to the bathroom.

Erik turned to his two friends. "I know that everybody does it, but does he really have to tell us? I mean, there is a girl at the table. Isn't he a little young for that, anyway?" Erik quietly told them. Cindy and Eustace stared at him like he was a complete idiot.

Jimmy leaned against the wall and dialed Mr. Benjamin's number. "Hey, Mr. B," he said when the man picked up.

"James, good to hear from you. Did Dave pass along my message?"

"Yep. And we'll all be there. Is eight ok?"

"That's perfect. Look, James, I know I've been kind of mean lately. It's just all of the stress with this movie, that killer person coming back, and trying to keep the reporter away," Mr. Benjamin trailed off.

"No problem. I wasn't the nicest guy either. I guess being targeted for murder can make you edgy. We'll see you tonight."

"Have a good day, James," Mr. Benjamin said before hanging up.

Jimmy closed his cell phone and put it back in his pocket. _That Mr. B's not such a bad guy after all._


	14. A Funny Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Jimmy took a moment to stop by his mirror before leaving his bedroom. He smiled as he looked down at his chest. He then looked at himself in the mirror. "Neutron, you are one sly fox," Jimmy said while running a hand through his hair. He paused a moment. "Well, I'm never going to say that again," he mumbled before heading out the door.

"One sec!" Cindy yelled as she fixed her hair and ran to the door. She smiled as Jimmy handed her a flower.

"Wow, you look great, Cind," he said while admiring her dress.

"Thanks. Isn't it a little hot for a sweatshirt?"

Jimmy laughed. "No. Actually, Ithink it's necessary."

Cindy thought his remark was strange, but she shrugged it off. _If there's one thing I've learned from dating him, it's that you'll never understand Jimmy Neutron. _"Are Eric and Eustace walking there with us?"

Jimmy shook his head. "They're going to meet us there."

Jimmy grabbed her hand and started the walk towards Mr. Benjamin's mansion. "Well, nearly a full day without nearly being murdered. That's always good."

Cindy smiled. "Yeah. How's your ankle, by the way?"

Jimmy looked down at the ground and shook his foot. "It's feeling a lot better. Thanks."

Half an hour later Jimmy knocked on Mr. Benjamin's door. Jimmy was surprised to see the millionaire open it himself. He had been expecting a butler.

"Ah, if it isn't the happy couple. How are you two kids tonight?" he asked as he handed them a drink.

Cindy smiled up at Jimmy. Both of them were still entranced by the realization that they were going out.

"We're doing great, Mr. B." Jimmy said as he led Cindy into the room. "By the way, what is this party for, anyway? All Dave said was that you were celebrating the success of the movie. But it doesn't seem like there's a lot to celebrate."

Mr. Benjamin chuckled. "Of course I realize that we haven't been having the best of luck lately, but I'm just glad that the movie is still in production. You and Cindy are still alive and well, the movie isn't shut down, the actors haven't quit, and we just finished up some shoots. I'd say that's reason to celebrate."

Jimmy smiled as the three of them entered the parlor. He saw Erik chatting with Sarah. Eustace was talking with Dave, Bill, and Tim. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Mr. Benjamin polished off his champagne and cleared his throat. "Well, I'll leave you kids alone. I'm going to go see how dinner's coming along."

Jimmy and Cindy nodded as he walked off into the kitchen. They took a seat next to Eustace.

"And that's when I said, you don't need that big-headed jerk, you're much safer with me. But she was-," Eustace was telling the three actors. They started clearing their throats and motioning behind him. "They're right behind me, aren't they?" Eustace slowly turned around to see Jimmy and Cindy staring at him. "Hey guys."

Jimmy just shook his head. "Look, I've got to talk to you and Eric about something." He turned his attention to Dave, Tim, and Bill. "We'll be right back. Good to see you again."

Jimmy grabbed Cindy's hand and headed off towards Eric. Eustace jogged after them. "Everything doesn't have to be about you, Neutron. There are plenty of other big-headed jerks out there."

They stopped and stood behind Eric, who was flirting with Sarah.

"Well, I knew that we were as good as gone. So I turned to Jimmy and said, use my I-pod and blow up the killer with it," Erik told Sarah, who laughed and flipped her hair.

Jimmy chuckled a little. Eric glanced around and did a double take when he saw Jimmy. "That's an interesting yarn you're weaving there, Eric. But story time is over. I have to tell you something," Jimmy said as he motioned for Eric to follow him. The four friends walked over to the other end of the room.

"Now, it's not that big of a deal. Well, I guess it is, but we're used to it. A couple of days ago the killer broke into my house and attacked me again. He must have been pissed; he fought a lot better that time."

Erik nodded, a small look of concern on his face. Eustace spit out his dink and started choking.

"The, killer…is back?" he asked between coughs.

Jimmy stared at him, concerned in spite of himself. "Eustace, you ok?" Eustace nodded his head. "Well, it's good to know you're worried about my safety, but it's no big deal. I'm ok," Jimmy told him.

Eustace shook his head. "When did this happen?"

"The same night the killer left that threatening note at the studio," Jimmy told him, a little confused by Eustace's reaction.

"The killer attacked you. Not only that night where you and Cindy were both attacked and you told us at the Candy Barthe nextday, but a couple of nights ago as well?" Eustace nervously asked.

"Yeah. He attacked me twice," Jimmy told him.

"Oh god, he's back. He's really back," Eustace mumbled as he started pacing around the room.

"What are you talking about? We already knew he was back. Why are you so surprised he struck again?" Erik asked him.

Eustace stopped pacing around and stared at Jimmy. He nervously laughed. "You want to hear something funny?"

Jimmy took a step forward and stared at Eustace. "What did you do?"

Eustace took a step back and stood against the wall. "It really is funny," he told Jimmy.

Jimmy just grabbed Eustace's shoulders and stared him in the eyes. "What did you do?"

Eustace gulped. Cindy and Erik just stared, curious about what was going to unfold. "Well, you know how you were attacked by a killer? You and Cindy? About a week ago?" Jimmy nodded his head. "And then that killer left a note and a mannequin at the studio?" Jimmy nodded his head.

"Well," Eustace nervously said. "That was kind of me." Erik, Cindy, and Jimmy angrily stared at him. "Funny, huh?"

"You better hope you can run," Jimmy and Cindy said at the same time.

"Just listen," Eustace said as he raised his hands. "I was never going to kill you or Cindy, or even hurt you bad. I just wanted to get some bad publicity and shut the movie down. You guys were all so obsessed about the money, you never even thought about what could happen. I just wanted to forget the whole mess and move on my life. I knew that opening the door to the past would just be inviting a killer back into our lives. And wasn't I right?"

Jimmy shoved Eustace into the wall. As he fell onto the ground Jimmy stepped away and rubbed his chin. "But if you just did those two things to shut the movie down, then that means that there really is a guy trying to kill me."

Cindy and Jimmy stared at each other in realization. "Let's get the heck out of here," he told her.


	15. The Hunt's On

**Author's Note: I made a few small changes to the beginning of chapter 14. You might want to go back and check out the first few paragraphs.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

As Cindy ran to the front door Jimmy took out his cell phone and checked if he could send out the signal. "Damn it!" he shouted as he slammed the phone shut and put it back in his pocket.

Cindy came running back to him. "It's locked. And you can't knock it down," she told him while she rubbed her shoulder.

_Alright. Warn the others. They don't know yet._ Jimmy turned around to see that Billy and Tim were gone. He and his friends ran over to Sarah and Dave. "Where are Billy and Tim?" Jimmy asked.

Sarah put down her soda and looked at Jimmy. "Billy went to the bathroom, and Tim, hmm. I don't know where Tim went," she said as she smiled at Eric. She looked down at her vibrating cell phone. "Hang on a sec." After she answered it she handed the phone to Jimmy. "Uh, it's for you."

"Alright, what is it? I know who you are!" Jimmy angrily shouted into the phone.

"Stay and die or run and have a chance to live," the distorted voice said. Suddenly the power was cut.

"Run!" Jimmy shouted as he grabbed Cindy's hand and ran straight ahead. He could barely see anything. He felt around the walls and went down a hallway. Sarah and Eric ended up heading into the kitchen. Eustace and Dave went down another hallway.

Jimmy slowly made his way down the hallway, squeezing Cindy's hand every so often. _Light. There's got to be some flashlights or something._ Jimmy felt a doorknob and pulled on the door. "It's locked," he whispered to Cindy.

"Noooo," she sarcastically said. She pushed him aside and kicked down the door.

"Uh, thanks," Jimmy told her as he fished around the closet. He grabbed two flashlights and handed one to Cindy. "Let's keep moving."

"Jimmy, why is he doing this? Killing you, me, everyone else, it would definitely shut down the movie," she whispered.

Jimmy kept walking in silence, trying to think of the logic behind this. He nodded his head when he thought of the answer. "Of course. Sure, killing us would shut down the movie. He might even kill his cast. But it would respark the media's attention. And he would still have the rights to my story. And several years from now, he could start the movie all over again. And the murders in his mansion would make an even better than his Calamitous idea."

Billy walked out of the bathroom when the lights were suddenly cut. "Uh, guys?" he nervously shouted. Suddenly his cell phone started to ring. He answered it. "Hello, Billy here."

"Hey Billy. You like scary movies?" the distorted voice asked.

"Who is this? Jeff? I'm not in the mood right now," he nervously said.

"You've read the script, kid. You know who this is. Now answer the question."

"Uh, yeah," Billy nervously whispered. _This can't be happening._

"You know what you are, Billy? You're fodder. You're the nameless blonde bimbo who gets killed first. Jimmy's the star. You don't even know him. You're a simple kid with one line who gets killed in the first act." 

Bobby quickly glanced behind him. "What do you want?"

The voice laughed. "I'm offering you a chance. A chance to move up the character ladder. Maybe live to see act two. I got a question for you, Billy. Answer right, you live. Answer wrong, you die. Ready?'

Billy was sweating profusely._ God, how did Jimmy deal with this twice? "_Yeah."

"Where is Jimmy Neutron hiding?"

Billy gulped. "I don't know." He frowned as the phone clicked off.

"You lose," the killer said. Billy spun around just in time to see a knife going through his forehead.


	16. A Free Pass and a Trade

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Eric and Sarah were slowly making their way through the kitchen, their only light being the few rays of the sunset seeping through the windows. Erik smiled as he grabbed two knives hanging from a wall. He handed one to Sarah.

"Thanks," she said as she twirled her hair.

Eric just froze there, a stupid smile on his face. He shook his head and snapped out of the trance. _Focus, kid. First rule of horror films, get interested in girls and you die._ "We better keep moving," he told her.

As they continued going down the hallway his cell phone rang. He nervously picked up. He knew who it was. This would be his first time talking with the killer. "Let me guess. You're the killer and you're here to ask me some question about horror films?"

"You know your stuff, kid. But you're a little off. You know what this is?"

Erik thought for a moment. "A rarity in horror films. It's a trilogy. That rare set of movies. It continues a good franchise after two movies, but knows to stop after that. Three is enough."

The killer laughed. "You got it, kid. You've earned a free pass to round three," the voice said.

"What happened to round two?" Erik nervously asked.

"Round one's done, kid. One less little friend for you to play with. Good luck," the voice sneered before hanging up.

Eustace and Dave were walking down a hallway. Eustace had pulled out his cell phone, which emitted enough light for them to see a little in front of them.

Dave turned to Eustace. "Dude, what is the plan here?"

Eustace turned to Dave. "Don't you have a plan?"

Dave was angry. "You were the one walking in front of me!"

"Hey, I'm not the leader! You play Jimmy, you figure out a plan!"

"Just shut up for a second! Why are we even doing this, running around a hallway, scared out of our wits? All that happened was the power went out!" Dave told him.

"Hey, Jimmy and Cindy think the killer's stalking us. And judging by the power being cut and that creepy phone call Jimmy received, I'd say they're right!"

They both turned around when they heard a creaking sound. "Ah!" they both shouted as the phone rang. Eustace dropped it onto the ground.

They both stared at it. "You answer it," Eustace said.

Dave raised his hands up in the air and took a step back. "It's your phone, dude."

Eustace gulped and picked up the phone. "Um, who is it?"

The killer just laughed. "How you survived the last killings I'll never know. _Who is it?_ Why don't you just leave the group and investigate a strange noise?"

"What do you want?" Eustace angrily asked.

"Just wanted to tell you your precious little Cynthia is in a little danger. But I'm willing to make you a trade."

Eustace tightened his grip on the phone and clenched his teeth at the mention of Cindy. "What do you mean?"

"Grab Neutron, I spare the Vortex girl."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Eustace skeptically asked.

"Either do as I say or you get to see what her insides look like. Toodles."


	17. Love Always Beats Hate

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Eustace slammed the phone shut and faced Dave. "You up for a quick kidnapping?"

Meanwhile, Jimmy and Cindy were slowly making their way down the halls. Jimmy quickly looked behind him and smiled when he saw that Cindy was still alright.

"Hey Jim, you seem to be the new horror movie expert now that Nick's gone. Any special trilogy rules I should know?" Cindy seriously asked.

"Just to expect the unexpected," Jimmy told her.

As if on cue Dave slowly walked up behind Cindy and knocked her out. Eustace jumped out of a hallway and wrestled Jimmy to the ground.

"I knew it!" Jimmy shouted as he kicked Eustace off of him. He quickly spun around as Eustace jumped at him. In one fluid motion, he reached into his right sock and pulled out the gun. He cocked it and aimed it at Eustace.

"Dude, where'd you get a gun?" Eustace nervously asked as he held his hands up.

Jimmy glanced behind him and saw Dave. He motioned for him to join Eustace. Dave held up his hands and walked over. Jimmy took a few steps backwards towards the unconscious Cindy. "You better pray to god she's ok," he threateningly told them.

Still aiming the gun at Eustace, he quickly checked for Cindy's pulse with his other hand. He stood back up and glared at Eustace. "You went too far, Strytch. Say hello to Steph for me," he said as he tightened his grip on the trigger.

"Wait! You should be thanking me!" Eustace yelled.

That shocked Jimmy enough to keep him from shooting. "Oh, you try to kill me and knock out my girlfriend. You're right, I do owe you a big thank you. I'll be sure to send a fruit basket to your apartment in Hell," he angrily muttered.

"Fire that gun and Cindy's dead. I'm serious, Jimmy," Eustace said. Jimmy was looking at him with a look of pure hatred. "You gotta believe me, Jimmy. You know I don't want to kill her. Just put the gun down and listen."

"And I should believe you why?" Jimmy asked.

"Because you love Cindy enough to stare death in the face just for a chance of saving her," Eustace solemnly told him.

Jimmy lowered the gun slightly. "You better be going somewhere with this."

"I'm going for my phone. Only my phone," Eustace said as he slowly reached into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and placed it on the floor. He kicked it towards Jimmy. "Check the Call ID. The killer just called me a minute ago. He said he would kill Cindy if I didn't bring you to him. But Cindy had to have been unaware of the whole thing."

Jimmy picked up the phone and checked the Call ID. It did say that a message had been received several moments ago. He slammed it shut and put it in his pocket. "So you were going to sell me out?"

Eustace held up two fingers. "One, I know you would want to die for her. And two, I would have given you a chance to come up with a better plan. You're not my favorite person, but I'm not going to hand you over to a serial killer that easy."

Jimmy sighed. That was the closest thing to a compliment Eustace had ever given him. "So what the hell are you saying we should do?"

"You come with us and leave her. He wants you, Jimmy. Not her. She'll wake up in a minute and be fine. But we have to make the killer believe we've kidnapped you.

Jimmy lowered the gun to his side and walked over to Eustace. He pushed him against a wall and aimed the gun under his chin. "You're just lucky I love Cindy more than I hate you."


	18. Where Everyone Stands

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Cindy slowly shook her head and stood up. _What happened?_ She grabbed her flashlight and turned it on. "Jimmy?" She didn't see him. "Jimmy!" she shouted. _Come on, Jimmy. Don't die on me. Please be alright._

A man dressed in the all too familiar _Scream_ costume slowly made his way through the halls. He carefully shined his flashlight all around him. He struggled to keep a clear path of vision through the tiny eye slits in the mask. _Idiots. Dumb, stupid kids. Like the killer would ever really do a trade. I can't believe they left the girl alone._

Eustace, Jimmy, and Dave slowly made their way down the hallways. Jimmy turned to Eustace. "So what did he say to do after you kidnapped me?" 

Eustace shrugged. "He didn't say anything else. He'll probably contact me soon."

Jimmy stopped and angrily stared at him. "The killer says to kidnap me and leave Cindy alone. And that's it. And you believed him? You are such a stupid idiot! He just wanted Cindy alone! It's a trap!" he shouted.

Erik and Sarah had left the kitchen and were making their way down the maze of hallways. They had no idea where they were or where they were going.

"Erik, do you have any idea where we are our where we're going?" Sarah asked.

Erik just flashed his smile at her. "Of course. I've been through this before, you know," he lied.

Poor Billy lay dead in a puddle of blood. Erik and Sarah were at the opposite end of the hallway. They would find him within a minute. His face would forever hold a look of pain and surprise.

A second person dressed in the Scream costume roamed the halls, knife in hand. He wasn't too far away from Cindy either. The bloodbath was only moments away.


	19. Deus ex Machina

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Cindy was rubbing the back of her aching head when a killer came up behind her. She turned around to see him holding a knife above her head. She was about to scream when Jimmy's words swam through her head. _Expect the unexpected. All bets are off. She covers herself with a towel instead of running. Instead of running. **Instead of running**._

Cindy held in her scream and jumped to the side. The killer slammed his knife into the floor. He struggled for a second to pull it out of the ground, but that second was enough for Cindy to start running.

The killer chased after her as she ran down the hallway. Cindy ran faster than she had ever run before. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the distance between the killer and herself was growing. Her sides started to hurt. She was about to slow down due to the pain when she remembered something. _Never assume you're safe._ She ignored the pain and kept running.

"Cindy!" Jimmy shouted as he took the gun back out of his pocket and cocked it. He was running as fast as he could down the hallways. He wasn't sure where she was, or if she was conscious. He just prayed that he could reach her in time.

As one killer continued to chase her down the hallway, another masked murder waited at the other end. He hid in the shadows as Cindy made her way towards him. He saw Jimmy coming from another hallway, about to intercept the killer. _Ok, the kid is coming. And he's got a gun. I can stick with the plan and risk getting killed, or I can do something else and watch the kids finish each other off. Yeah, I like the second idea better._

He pulled out a smoke grenade and a gun. He fired several shots into the other killer's head. He then threw the smoke grenade and ran towards the other killer's body.

The one remaining killer knew he had to act fast. The smoke would clear in about thirty seconds. He stopped by the body and ripped the cloak and mask off of the now dead Mr. Benjamin. He tossed the robe in Jimmy's direction and the mask in Cindy's. He threw his gun towards Cindy as well. He pulled out another gun and ran back into the shadows behind Cindy as the smoke cleared. _This should be fun._

Jimmy coughed as the hallway became enveloped in smoke. He felt a light object cover him. He squinted and realized that it was the killer's robe.

Cindy also coughed as the smoke became thicker. She felt something slam into her thigh. She fell onto the ground and groped around the floor. She picked up the killer's mask and a gun. _What the hell?_

Eustace and Dave had taken a wrong turn and were in a completely different hallway. 

When the smoke cleared Jimmy and Cindy were across from each other. Mr. Benjamin lay between them, dead and covered in blood. Both kids held a weapon and part of the killer's costume. They aimed their guns at each other as a reflex.

Jimmy spoke first. "Somebody killed Mr. Benjamin. He, he wasn't the killer. But...who is?" He noticed the gun in Cindy's hand and the mask at her feet. "Cindy?" he incredulously asked.

Cindy stared at Jimmy. "Jimmy, tell me it's not you. I'll believe you," she said as she kept her gun aimed at him. Her smile of hope turned into a frown when she remembered what Jimmy had said just a few moments ago._ Expect the unexpected._

"I'm not the killer, Cind. Now I know you had a good reason to kill Mr. Benjamin. Why did you do it?" Jimmy cautiously asked.

"I didn't do it!" Cindy shouted.

"Why do you have the mask?"

"Why do you have the robe?" Cindy shot back.

They stood in the dark hallway, the only light coming from their fallen flashlights. They were across from each other, about ten feet apart. Both had their guns aimed at each other.

"Cind," Jimmy started to say. His eyes widened in terror as the killer slowly came up behind Cindy. "Look behind you!"

Cindy laughed. "I'm not falling for that old trick. Put down your gun," she instructed him.

The killer continued slowly walking towards Cindy. He reached into his robe. "Cindy! Trust me and look behind you!"

"Put the gun down!" Cindy said as the killer pulled out his knife.

"LOOK BEHIND YOU!"

"DROP THE GUN!"

Jimmy couldn't wait any longer. The killer was right behind Cindy. He aimed the gun over her shoulder and fired two shots. Cindy, thinking he was firing at her, let loose three rounds into his chest. Cindy looked behind her now that Jimmy was no longer a threat. Her face fell as she saw the killer running away.

"Jimmy!" she shouted as she ran towards the fallen boy. "Jimmy!" _God, he was trying to save me and I killed him! I killed him!_

Cindy ran up to Jimmy, who lay motionless on the ground. She could see holes in his shirt. Jimmy moaned softly. "Jimmy, I'm so sorry," she whispered as she cradled his head and began to cry.

"Cind," Jimmy whispered. "Cindy," he said a little louder. Cindy stopped crying and stared at him. Jimmy lifted up his shirt to reveal that he was wearing body armor. There was only a few drops of blood on him. "First rule of horror films...always aim for the head," he weakly joked.


	20. Truce

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

"My god, you're ok!" Cindy shouted in jubilation. Jimmy tried to stand up, but he just groaned and clutched his chest.

"A little help?" he gently mumbled.

"Oh, sorry," Cindy said as she grabbed his hand and pulled her up. "I can't believe it. I thought you were a goner. Why did you wear that here?"

Jimmy smiled. "Cind, after all we've been through, I've learned to be prepared. Same reason I brought the gun. I thought Mr. B might still be the killer." Jimmy's face suddenly fell. "But I guess I was wrong."

Jimmy and Cindy both kneeled down next to Mr. Benjamin's bloody body. There was no reason to check for a pulse, he had three bullet holes in his head. Jimmy rubbed his chin. "Hang on a sec," he said as he reached into Mr. Benjamin's pocket. He pulled out a gun. In his other pocket he found a knife.

"That's weird," Cindy said. Jimmy nodded and grabbed the mask near Cindy's feet. He placed it on Mr. Benjamin's face. It fit perfectly. He lay the robe over him. That also was a perfect fit.

"Well I'll be damned," Jimmy whispered. "There were two killers. Three, counting Eustace."

"Counting me for what?" Eustace asked as he and Dave stepped into the hallway. Their faces turned pale and they turned around when they saw Mr. Benjamin's body. Eustace turned back around and faced Jimmy. "Nice job leading us, by the way. You left us in the dust."

Jimmy angrily turned to Eustace. "I'm so sorry that I was running as fast as I could to save my girlfriend. I should have waited for you so the three of us could have a lovely stroll together," he sarcastically said before turning back to Cindy. "Cind, you alright?"

Cindy nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad you're ok."

Jimmy put his gun back in his pocket. He bent down and picked up Mr. Benjamin's knife and gun. He handed one to Cindy. She nodded and put it in her pocket. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife and walked over to Eustace.

"Calm down, man," Eustace nervously said as he took a few steps back.

Jimmy grabbed Eustace's hand and opened his palm. He placed the knife in it and closed his fingers around it.

"You're giving me this?" Eustace incredulously asked.

Jimmy nodded. "You are the biggest idiot on the planet. You are gullible, weak, stupid, and a coward in nearly every aspect. But I know you'll fight just as hard as me to save her." Jimmy turned around and started to walk away, but Eustace grabbed his arm. Jimmy faced him.

Eustace sighed. "She made the right choice. With you, I mean. Truce?" he asked as he outstretched his hand.

"Truce," Jimmy said as he shook it.

Eustace's smile turned back into a frown. "But don't think we're suddenly best friends or something."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, good. All my best friends seem to die," he said as a sad tone crept into his voice. "Let's go."

Jimmy and Cindy headed down the hallway. Dave stared at Eustace. "You heard the man. Let's go," Eustace said as he followed Jimmy.


	21. Running out of Fodder

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Jimmy and Cindy continued down the hallway, their hands by their pockets. They were ready to shoot at a moments notice. Eustace and Dave were several feet behind the,. As they turned a corner they bumped into Erik and Sarah.

"AH!" the six of them shouted as they jumped back.

"Where have you guys been?" Sarah angrily demanded.

Jimmy took a step forward. "Taking a walk, examining the mansion, being chased by two serial killers. You know, the usual," he said as they all continued down the hallway.

Erik ran to catch up with Jimmy. "What do you mean two?"

Jimmy sighed. "Mr. Benjamin is dead. And he was one of the killers. But another is still out there."

"Well, that sucks," Erik said. They all continued walking. Erik appeared nervous and whispered something into Jimmy's ear. "Hey, I know a lot about horror films, but there's a question I have to ask."

"Shoot," Jimmy said.

"Well, you know how once you have sex you're stamped for death?" Erik asked. Jimmy just nodded his head. "Um, will kissing kill you?"

Jimmy stopped and stared at Erik. "What? It's a valid question," he sheepishly told Jimmy.

"Close mouth no. Tongue or fondling, yes," Jimmy told him.

Erik was impressed. "Huh," he said as he rubbed his chin. "I gotta, uh, go talk with Sarah," he mumbled.

Jimmy grabbed his friend's shoulder. "Do what you gotta do, man," Jimmy said while smiling. Erik nodded and ran back to the end of the group to see Sarah. _Idiot._

The gang continued silently walking through the hallway. Suddenly one of Jimmy's three phones began to rang. He took Eustace's phone out of his pocket and tossed it to him. He then answered the ringing phone. "Hello."

"Hello Jimmy. Having fun?"

Jimmy thought for a moment. "You didn't really think this one through, dude. You either killed your partner or killed some guy you don't know who was trying to murder me. Either way, one less maniac to deal with."

The killer shrugged. "He was dead weight. Anyway, back to business. What's your favorite scary movie?"

Jimmy was angry now. _My god, haven't I answered this stupid question enough?_ "You want to know what my favorite scary movie is? My life."

"Oh, you're getting angry. You've gotta love when you strike a victim's nerves."

"What is it you want to tell me?"

The killer laughed. "You said it yourself, James. All bets, all rules are off in a trilogy. You're all huddling around this phone, listening to what I'm saying. It's a rookie mistake, Jimmy. Too bad someone has to die because of it. Turn around."

Everyone turned away from the phone and screamed. Sarah lay dead, a knife going all the way through her head.

"Pay attention to what's going on around you, James. I'm running out of fodder. Only one left. Then it's the main character's turn to die. See ya soon," the distorted voice said before hanging up.


	22. The TV Room

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

Dave was clearly nervous now. "Um, am I going to die?"

Eustace, Jimmy, Cindy, and Erik turned to him. "Uh, I think you need this more than I do," Eustace said as he handed Dave the knife.

Jimmy took charge. "Not if we play our cards right. Stick together and keep your eyes open. Dave, get the knife ready. Cindy, cock your gun and keep it in your hand. I'll do the same. We're not losing another person."

The five kids made their way down the hallway. Jimmy held up his hand to stop the group. There was an unlocked door to his right. With Cindy and him keeping their guns ready, he opened the door. "Let's check this out," he told them.

They shined their flashlights around the room. Dozens of television screens came on around the room. Oddly, the televisions were shaped like doors and were at floor level. They slowly made their way through the room, wondering what was going on.

"What is this?" Cindy asked.

Erik shrugged. "Either the weirdest TV room ever or a bunch of doorways into another dimension." Suddenly the screens flickered to life. "My vote is for TV room."

Everyone stared at the dozens of monitors. They were several feet apart and circled the entire room. Scenes of scary movies started to play.

Everyone looked on in terror as the scariest scenes ever filmed started to play. The shower scene from _Psycho_, Freddy Krouger from _Nightmare on Elm Street_, Jason Vorhees rising from the dead, the alien on the Brazilian video from _Signs_, and numerous shots from the _Scream movies_. Jimmy, Cindy, Erik, and Eustace gasped as black and white movies played of the sixth grade murders. Jimmy guessed they had come from the school's security cameras.

"Where are we?" Cindy quietly asked.

"Hell," Erik seriously said.

Everyone gasped as every screen switched to a still picture of the masked man stalking them. Suddenly, in perfect harmony, they all started talking. "Hello, kids."

Jimmy was quickly glancing around the room, trying to keep an eye on all the screens at once. "Show yourself!" he shouted.

The images laughed. "You don't get it, Jimmy. You just don't. You think you can win, you think you can escape. You can't. Everyone knows you're here for a long party, no one will be looking for you for a while. Plenty of time for me to kill you and run. What have you got? Two puny guns and a knife? I have all of this," he said while motioning around him.

"You think you can play the hero, Jimmy. You think you can. But you're wrong. _Dead _wrong. Everyone's luck runs out. And yours is just about to. You _will_ die here, James. You and your friends. You can't beat me. I can't die. You can't win."

Jimmy was clenching his fists so hard his palms started to bleed. "You're human, just like me. Of course I can beat you. I've done it before and I can do it again!"

"No you won't. And you never won, really. Who killed the first killer? Cindy. Who killed that girl Stephanie? Eric, really. And Eustace was fighting him. And Cindy nearly died trying. All you did was build something. A small bomb. You're useless, James. You can build things, but can you fight? Of course not. You're a puny little geek, a nerd, a stupid, short, little, pussy!"

"Shut up!" Jimmy shouted as he pulled out his gun. He spun around the room and fired a shot at each of the television screens. They all cracked. As he spun to the last remaining one, the killer stepped forward. Jimmy tried to fire a shot at his head, but the gun was empty.

"Pathetic," was all the killer said before throwing down a smoke bomb and running off.


	23. The Rule

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.**

As the smoke cleared, Cindy, Erik, Dave, and Eustace coughed. Jimmy stood completely still, staring at the spot the killer had just been. He ignored the pain in his watering eyes. He didn't blink, just stared at that spot.

Eustace stepped forward and grabbed Jimmy's shoulder. "He's wrong."

Jimmy turned to who he thought was his greatest enemy. He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"He's wrong. And you know it. I don't know what else to say," Eustace told him.

Jimmy nodded. He stared at the empty gun in his hands. He didn't have any ammunition; it was of no use to him now. He shouted in anger and threw it across the room, completely shattering one of the screens.

He and Eustace walked back to the others. They stared at them. Cindy grabbed her gun and handed it to Jimmy. He fingered it for a moment, but gave it back to her. "The knife," he said. Dave handed Jimmy the knife.

"He is right." Everyone started to protest, but he held up his hand. "Quiet. I know what you're going to say. I know I've been through a lot, kept my head, possibly been a leader, even fought off the killer and saved you guys' lives sometimes.

But when push comes to shove, I run. What do you think I've been doing all night? I figured it out. The way to beat him."

"What are you talking about?" Erik asked.

Jimmy just smiled and shook his head a little. _It's so simple._ "For the past two years, whenever we've been attacked, we've mocked and made fun of all the horror movie clichés. Virgins don't die, don't leave the group, etc. But we've been following the biggest one of all. The one that nobody even thought of, the one that nobody even realized existed.

Running. They always run. Some fight, but they're still essentially running from place to place. It took me until now to realize it. In the final movie of a trilogy, any rule can be broken. And I'm about to break the biggest one of all. The one that is the core of horror films, the center of the scary universe."

He paused for a moment. "What is it?" Cindy asked.

"I'm not going to run. I'm bringing the fight to him," he said as he walked out of the room, knife in hand.


	24. Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

"Hold it!" Cindy shouted. Jimmy sighed and turned around. "Are you insane? There is no way we're going off alone! We are staying together!"

Jimmy walked forward, now standing only inches away from Cindy. "This is my destiny, Cind. I've got to do this. You know me. God knows I'm not invincible, but I seem to be pretty damn close. I know I can do this. I _have_ to do this. You know me. You know it's the truth."

Cindy stared in his eyes. _How he's changed. Two years ago, a ten year-old boy. A kid with a light smile and blue pools for eyes. A boy surrounded by friends and a girl he thought he hated. A boy who would do what had to be done, but would always be scared and hesitate to do it. _

_Now, a twelve year-old man. We've seen more in the past two years than anyone ever has in their entire lifetime. No longer a light smile and pools of joy for eyes. Now a frown of anger and pools of fire for eyes. How he's grown. Look at him, he's not even the slightest bit afraid to do this._

_But he's wrong. He'll never have to do this alone. I've changed too._ Cindy laughed inside her head._ I've gone from wishing this kid would drop dead to be willing to die for him. If his destiny is to die fighting a killer, then mine is to die with him._

All these thoughts swirled around her head. Only a few seconds had passed. She was still staring Jimmy in the eyes. "If your destiny is to fight him, then you know what mine is."

Erik, Eustace, and Dave were watching this. Suddenly Erik walked up to the couple and started talking. "Uh, hi. Remember us? Yeah, we don't really feel like dying today. So, uh, splitting up is not a good idea."

Jimmy nodded. "Cind, he's right. If I can't be here, they should have you. You're my equal, maybe superior," Jimmy told her. He paused a moment. "Funny how I can admit that so easily know. That would have killed me two years ago." After sharing a smile with her, he continued. "Anyway, you've got to stay with them."

Cindy walked over to the other end of the lounge. Everyone stared at her. She came back several seconds later, a bottle of vodka in hand. She smashed it against a table. "Jimmy, we're the targets. If he's looking for us, he'll fight us. He'll leave them alone. And I'm not letting you do this by yourself."

Jimmy's frown softened a little. Cindy's heroism, her spunk, her bravery, it never ceased to amaze him. The fact that she was so willing to fight beside him, even at the risk of death, astounded him. He took the makeshift knife from her hand and walked over to Eustace.

"It's unlikely he'll come here again. But use this incase he does. You can do this, buddy. I know you can."

Eustace took it and stared at Jimmy. "Good luck," he said with a smile as he outstretched his hand. Jimmy smiled as well and shook it. "And come back, Jimmy. I'm not through messing with you yet."

"I'll be sure to try." He turned to Eric. "Eric," he started to say, but Eric just hugged him.

"Dude, be careful. You know he's not going down easy."

Jimmy nodded and grabbed Cindy's hand. "See ya, Dave. Looks like you're not fodder anymore," Jimmy said before walking out the door and into the hallway.

Jimmy took a deep breath and took out his cell phone. He still had Sarah's in his pocket. He flipped through the Call ID and called the killer.

"Well-," the distorted voice started to say.

Jimmy mustered his courage and interrupted him. "You like scary movies?" he asked and hung up.


	25. Shocking

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Jimmy and Cindy continued going through the halls in silence, their only light coming from their flashlights. They grabbed each other's hand, both to stay together and for comfort. Jimmy decided he needed to get something off his chest.

"Cindy?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I know I've said it before, but I just want to say it again. You know, incase something happens. I love you, Cindy. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I can't believe we wasted that whole year in fifth grade arguing. Just know that I love you, alright?"

Cindy smiled and nodded. "And I love you too."

Jimmy was trying to think of a plan when the phone rang. Jimmy picked it up.

"You think you're smart? Well-," the angry killer started to say.

"Water runs, water flows. It's tough as nails or soft as snow. It flows from high to low, I think you know where to go," Jimmy said before hanging up. He turned to Cindy.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

Jimmy put the phone back in his pocket. "What? The first killer did it a couple years back. It sounded cool. I wanted to try," Jimmy explained.

"So, to the basement?" Cindy asked.

"Damn, you're smart," he told her as they ran towards the stairs.

A few moments later Jimmy and Cindy emerged from the stairs into the basement. He tightened his grip on her hand and ran through the rooms until he entered the wine cellar.

"Quick, smash them," he told her as he knocked over a shelf of ancient wine. The variously colored liquids swirled on the floor.

Cindy did as she was told, but was very confused. "Why are we doing this?"

Jimmy continued smashing as many bottles as he could. "No time to explain. He'll be here any second."

They both froze and perked their heads up when they heard the stairs creak a few rooms away. "Trust me and play along," he told her.

Cindy nodded as Jimmy pulled out his cell phone and placed it on the floor. "Stay on the dry part of the floor. Over there," he said while pointing. Cindy ran over there. Jimmy took a few steps back and hit himself hard across the face. He began to bleed.

He pulled out his knife with one hand and Sarah's cell phone with the other. He opened the cell phone and hid it in his fist. They could hear the killer a few rooms away, opening a door. Jimmy took a deep breath. "Cindy! Don't do it! I didn't mean to cheat on you! Cind, put the knife away! God, please, AHHHH!" he shouted as he slammed the knife into his leg and collapsed onto the floor. He landed face-first on the glass. He could feel the warm blood cascading down his leg. He closed his eyes as the killer burst into the room.

Cindy was terribly confused. She tried to shoot the gun at the killer when he entered the room, but he didn't even flinch. He had emptied Mr. Benjamin's gun a while back. The killer took out his gun and advanced towards Cindy. She raised her hands up in the air and backed up into the wall.

The killer glanced from Cindy to the motionless Jimmy lying on the floor. "What did you do to him?" the killer asked. He wasn't using the device to talk. Cindy thought it sounded familiar.

__

Trust me and play along. "That little bastard cheated on me! He's lucky I didn't rip his freakin' brainstem out and whip him with it!" Cindy angrily shouted.

Jimmy lay on the ground, straining his ears to hear. _Great job, Cind._ He very slowly moved his thumb to the phone and hit a number. _5..._

"Looks like you saved me some trouble. I'll make it painless as a thank-you."

Cindy quickly glanced over at Jimmy. "Who are you?" she angrily asked the masked man. Jimmy hit another number. _5..._

The killer laughed, but still held his gun steady. "I can't believe you haven't figured it out. I would have thought you were smarter than that. I guess you're just another dumb blonde," he said while removing his mask. _5..._

"Tim?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Tim. Did you notice I was the only cast member missing? God, you're so stupid. I'll never understand how you managed to beat those two other killers." _2..._

Tim, why?" Cindy asked.

Tim laughed. "The same reason you agreed to do this movie. Money. Mr. Benjamin told me if I helped him with this, I'd get a bigger role in his next movie. He's the best in the business. I could be the next Tom Cruise," he told her._ 7..._

Cindy became angry again. "So you killed him?"

Tim shrugged. "Had to, babe. I have to look out for number one, after all. That's the reason I started this thing. And it will work out better than I had even hoped. Imagine, me, the lone survivor of these killings. I'll be the most known kid in the world!" _9..._

Come on Jimmy, do whatever it is you have planned. Now! "You're a monster!"

"No. Freddy Krouger is a monster. I'm a new age businessman. I'm just sorry I have to kill such a pretty young girl. Oh well. Say hi Benjy for me," he said._ 6..._

Hey Tim!" Jimmy shouted. A shocked Tim turned his attention to Jimmy. "You can say hello yourself!" Jimmy triumphantly shouted as he pressed the send button.

As Jimmy's cell phone started ringing in the pool of wine, Tim received a mild electic shock. He screamed in pain as he dropped the gun. He fell onto the ground and crushed the cell phone.

"My turn!" Cindy shouted as she ran at Tim. He tried to get up, but she got to him first and kicked him hard in the face. Already weakened by the electrocution, he was in no shape to fight back. He tried to block her blows, but she connected nearly every time. He collapsed onto the ground, bloody and straining for breath.

"You ok?" Cindy asked as she ran over to Jimmy. She pulled the knife out of his leg and threw it on the ground. Jimmy grabbed her hand, and she pulled him up. He took off his shirt and bandaged his leg.

"Yeah, good job," he told her as he hobbled over to Tim. He stopped for a second to pick up the gun. He cocked it and continued towards his fallen opponent.

"Jimmy, call an ambulance. I need help," Tim moaned.

Jimmy just smiled and bent down. He kneeled on his good knee and stared Tim in the eyes. "First rule of horror films, finish the killer when you have the chance," he said before aiming the gun at Tim's head and pulling the trigger.


	26. It's Over

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

Eustace, Cindy, Erik, Dave, and Jimmy stood outside the set of _Bloody Snow. _They watched as the studio's workers dismantled it. Jimmy adjusted his crutches as he stared at their movie being dismantled.

"You did good, Jimmy. Shame about your leg, though," Erik told him.

Jimmy just nodded. "Ah well. It's only for another few weeks. At least we're alive," Jimmy said. The five of them stood in silence for a moment, remembering those who had died.

"Weird, isn't it?" Cindy wondered out loud. "Obviously all of these murders were bad. But think of the good that came from it. Jimmy and I are closer than ever," she said as she kissed her injured boyfriend's cheek.

Eustace smiled, he had finally come to terms with Cindy's choice of Jimmy. You might be able to say that they were friends now.

"Eustace and Jimmy settled their feud," Cindy went on. Eustace and Jimmy nodded at each other. "It brought Erik into our lives."

Erik took a bow. "Much thanks, m'lady."

Everyone chuckled a little. "And Dave, um, well, is alive!" Cindy shouted.

"So what are you going to do now that the movie's dead, Dave?" Erik asked.

"Well, I came out here to shoot it, so I'm heading back home to New York. I'm taking a flight back home the day after tomorrow."

Everyone nodded and turned back to the set. "Well, I better get going. I've got to pack. Good luck, you guys. And Jimmy," Dave said. Jimmy turned to him. "It really was an honor to play you."

"No problem," Jimmy said as they shook hands. Everyone said their good-byes asDave started walking back to his hotel.

The four remaining friends stood there for a moment, watching the final moving men leave. The set was gone now.

"I'm just glad it was your cell phone that got fried, Jimmy. I only have so many I-pods, you know," Erik joked.

Cindy slapped her head. Everyone stared at her. "You know what I just realized?"

"What?" everyone asked.

"Today's the last day of summer vacation! School starts tomorrow," she told them.

Erik, Jimmy, and Eustace checked the date on their watches. They couldn't believe that they were going back to school tomorrow.

"Wow. I can't believe summer's already over," Eustace said.

Erik was suddenly very depressed. "I can't believe we wasted it doing this crappy movie."

Jimmy just laughed. "Well, it may not have been the safest or most fun summer, but it was definitely exciting."

They stood in silence for another minute. "Well, I better get home. I guess I have to pick out my clothes for tomorrow. Gotta look good for the ladies at school, you know," Erik said while flashing his smile.

"Yeah, I better get going too. Father wants to try us two having dinner together," Eustace said.

"Yeah, I told my mom Cindy and I would be home for dinner at six," Jimmy said while struggling to hold Cindy's hand (he did have crutches).

They all waved good-bye as they headed off to their homes.

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As we walked home that day, I noticed something. At the end of each one of previous murders, a chain of events started. A chain that would lead to the next set of killings, whether it be a Christmas card or an explosive talking device.

But this time was different. Instead of opening the gateway to another living Hell, it did so to normal life. That night was the last connected to the murders, the next day would be the first to a new year of normal life.

And as I grabbed Cindy's hand and hobbled home, I couldn't be happier. I knew that this was the end of the past. The two years of worry, fighting, and murder were done. I could finally bury the past and move on.

Maybe the killings will start again. I doubt it, though. But if they do, I'll be ready. Cindy and I will always be ready. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that as long as we have each other, we're invincible.

So it is with great joy in my heart that I say this. It's something I've wanted to say for two years. Something that will not only set me free from the terror of the past, but my friends as well. My ears are starting to tear with joy. So when I look up at the golden sunset, I whisper underneath my breath, "It's over."

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**Author's Note: Well, thanks for reading. This is definitely the end of the _Red Snow _series. **

Please tell me how you felt. I love reading reviews, especially when they're descriptive. Tell me which story you liked best. Personally, I feel this story was the best. That's weird, as sequels usually steadily go down in quality. Oh well, it's just my opinion.

And a big thank you to all those who did review. I've got over eighty reviews at this time. That's more than I've ever gotten. Thanks a lot.

And I thought I'd let you know something about the character Eric. He is basically me. That is probably how I would act in the story (minus the obsessing about girls thing). I would be a little scared, but hide it with my sense of humor. Originally Eric was just supposed to be a survivor of the previous book that the gang hung out wiht. But I gradually gave him his funny, girl-obsessed personality. I feel that Eric was one of the reasons that this story was so good. But again, that's just my opinion.

This series, and especially this story, was my favorite to write. I had a lot of fun throwing in shots at horror movies. I especially liked writing the dialogue between the killer and Jimmy and all the Eric dialogue.

I tried to make the last few chapters a little more intense. I wanted you guys to get a feeling of how Jimmy felt. To have all that pressure put on you, to have to protect yourself and your friends, it can't be easy.

Finally, I had a great time showing the J/Cness. It's cool when they don't have to hide their emotions.

Well, sorry to make this note so long. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.


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